All photos by Adam Larkey

Tomorrow afternoon, Izakaya Den will start its second week of service in its new location. Half of its new location, that is. Construction is continuing on the second floor of the new building, which will more than double the capacity of Izakaya Den -- as well as give the place a second bar, private dining areas and a patio overlooking Pearl Street -- when it's completed later this month. But in the meantime, there's plenty of seating on the first floor, including at the seventeen-seat sushi bar and a communal table in the bar area. Keep reading for a look at the new Izakaya Den.

See also:
- Izakaya Den opens in its new home on South Pearl
- Photos: The raw courage of Sumo + Sushi + Sake
- Photos: Sushi Bay is on a roll with a second location Uptown

More »

All photos by Trevor Andersen.

From souvlaki to baklava, this year's Greek Festival offered enough traditional Greek foods to keep the salivary glands sweating. The festival took place at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church from June 14 to 16 and combined food with a carnival, live music, and dance performances that all celebrated Greek history. Continue reading for a few culinary scenes, and visit our full 2013 Denver Greek Festival slide show for more photos.

See also:
- Summer Guide 2012: Denver Greek Festival
- It's Greek to me at Axios Estiatorio
- Denver's top five Greek restaurants

More »

Dozens of culinary superstars, including Ming Tsai,
Grant Achatz, Stephanie Izard, Claudine and Jacques Pépin, Kristen Kish,
Marcus Samuelsson, José Andrés and Andrew Zimmern, are in Glitter Gulch
for the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, a four-day celebration
of food and wine that brings together the best chefs and winemakers in
the country. Day one of the sold-out festival kicked off with a red
carpet welcome party followed by a star-studded bash hosted by Andrés,
who debuted several products from his new Spanish
food line. 

See Also:
Jennifer Jasinski and Frasca Food and Wine win James Beard Foundation awards
2012 Pairsine Challenge: The ultimate food and wine throwdown
Culinary calendar: Denver Food and Wine pours into the weekend

---

Follow @CafeWestword

More »

J. Wohletz

The new Deluxe Quarter Pounder from McDonald's.

The golden arches have nixed their Angus third pounders and replaced them with three new specialty quarter pounders, one spicy, one with bacon (allegedly a new, thicker, Applewood-smoked bacon), and one with....lettuce and tomato.

The new burgers are marked for the permanent-items list gracing the McMenu of ever-revolving fast food creations (usually made with a revolving list of on-hand ingredients with the occasional new sauce or bun upgrade). But are the new burgers worth ditching the old ones? *Hint* The answer is gonna be yes, because the Angus burgers weren't that good, so anything would be a vast improvement.

See also:
- McFish Bites: McDonald's sure knows how to bait a hook
- My top five McDonald's horror stories
- The McDonald's map of America -- and Denver's place in it (VIDEO)

More »

All photos by Philip Poston.

The Wall Tavern recently opened at 1112 Santa Fe Drive offering a "chill vibe, casually strong drinks, and our relaxing nature," according to its Facebook page. Owners Isiah Pachner and Justin Cooper wanted to incorporate an arty feel to the place since they are located in the Art District on Santa Fe, so they fabricated the bartop themselves from copper, removed the plaster inside to expose the brickwork in the building and made the bar itself from wood salvaged from a century-old barn outside of Laramie, Wyoming.

See also:
- Photos: Scratch Burrito & Happy Tap opens today in Berkeley
- Izakaya Den opens tomorrow in its new home on South Pearl
- Uno Mas Cantina Y Taqueria opening June 23 on South Pearl Street

More »

Photo courtesy of The Primal Parent Facebook page.

Do paleo eaters look good naked? First time author Peggy Emch thinks so. Creator of the paleo nutrition and lifestyle blog, The Primal Parent, Emch released Primal Moms Look Good Naked: A Mother's Guide to Achieving Beauty through Excellent Health last week.

Challenging the belief that pregnant women and new mothers are unattractive and undesirable, Emch has compiled a 256-page guide for getting ride of cellulite, varicose veins, stretch marks and belly flab with a paleo diet (also known as the caveman diet), which consists primarily of fish, grass-fed meats, nuts and fruit.

Emch recently sat down with Westword to share here inspiration for the book, how paleo worked for her and some challenges of being a primal parent. Already receiving rave reviews and a best seller on Amazon, Emch may just be onto something.

See also:
- Dining out paleo: Ten dishes to satisfy your inner caveman
- Comedian/restaurateur Will White on his paleo-diet truck, Kickstarter and standup
- Paleo diet study wins a Centennial teen $2,000

More »

Brace yourselves--hangovers are coming!

Pop culture can inspire some strange culinary creations; a creep-tastic example is Alamo Drafthouse's new duo of wines based on Silence of the Lambs: "The Cannibal Chianti," a nod to Hannibal Lecter, connoisseur of two-legged protein, and "Suit Yourself Pinot Grigio," an homage to Buffalo Bill, our favorite lotion enthusiast. Only the strangest-of-the-strange consumers would associate nose, body, bass notes and finish with Hannibal Lecter (okay, maybe the last one), but some film and TV-inspired edible and drinkable products over the years have been even odder.

Here are five weird pop-culture inspired culinary items: If one popular movie can produce wines and re-brand fava beans, then there is truly no limit to what creative marketing can accomplish.

See also:
- Chocolate Kisses: Thanks to Depp and Burton, Willy Wonka just got weirder.
- Harry Potter is over, but what will fans do now?
- Five Game of Thrones characters we never want to see naked

More »

All photos by Philip Poston

Little Owl Coffee has opened at 1555 Blake Street, in the building that's home to Mapquest and just across the street from the most restaurant-heavy block in the city. Owner Seanna Forey hopes to open more locations; in the meantime, she's focusing on hand-crafting each cup of coffee with beans from Corvus Coffee Roasters.

Keep reading for a look at Little Owl.

See also:
- Best New Coffeehouse 2013: Black Eye Coffee
- First look: Jimmy's Urban Bar & Grill opens on Blake Street
- Weathervane Cafe shows the way for plant-based eaters

More »

All photos by Philip Poston

Pizzeria Locale wasn't the only new pizza joint to open on Broadway last week. Also opening on May 29, and just six blocks down Broadway: Pie Hole -- no relation to the joint of the same name that lasted for about a minute in the alley behind Larimer Square five years ago. This Pie Hole is offering whole 19" pies and slices -- with eight options every day. Four never change: the classics of cheese and pepperoni, as well as potato and bacon, and roasted red pepper and basil. The other four change daily; there's always a vegan option, too. And Pie Hole offers $1 PBR all day, every day.

Keep reading for photos of Pie Hole.

See also:
- First look: Frasca crew will open Pizzeria Locale next Wednesday
- Pie Hole in the Wall
- Reader: A bummer to have another empty spot on Broadway

More »

All photos by Trevor Andersen.

Recognizing the decline in small, local bookstores, Nicole Sullivan realized she'd have to do something new when she took over the space at 4280 Tennyson Street that had recently been vacated by a bookstore. The result? BookBar, a spot that not only sells books, but serves coffee, beer and wine, as well as pastries and other snacks -- and also serves as a community gathering place. All of the beer comes from local breweries, all of the pastries comes from local bakeries, and even the reading selection is selected by the community. And with a lovely bar covered with pages of books, BookBar is a great place to spend time consuming both literature and a liquid beverage or two.

BookBar hosts events -- including a kids' reading hour, book-club meetings and author appearances -- and has a private space that you can book. Keep reading for a look at BookBar, which opened at the end of May.

See also:
- Best Store on Tennyson Street 2013: Tenn Street Coffee and Books
- The ten best stores on Tennyson Street
- The Bookery Nook, an independent bookstore and ice cream parlor, is closing

More »